The Sting on Her Skin
by catharticone
Summary: Some of the events in Italy occurred too quickly for human eyes to process, but Alice is painfully aware of the effects...
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer****: **The Twilight world is the property of Stephenie Meyer. No infringement is intended._

_**Author's Note:** This short tale is set immediately after the events in Volterra. _

* * *

Alice sat stiffly in her seat. From her posture, it appeared that she was peering out the window, watching the landscape as the plane rose into the air. In reality, she was slightly less uncomfortable in this position. She glanced quickly at Edward, glad that he had not yet noticed her pain. Their time in Volterra had been difficult enough as it was. There was no need to add anything else to the wrenching mix.

Since the moment Edward had held Bella in his arms again, his thoughts had centered almost exclusively upon her. Once they had entered Aro's chamber, the threat posed by the Volturi had further intensified his focus upon his human love, to the exclusion of nearly everything else. By the time they left Volterra, he could think of nothing but his beautiful singer.

Alice had not minded Edward's singular fixation. Indeed, she had welcomed it. With her brother's attention on Bella, Alice did not have to work as hard to suppress the sensations of pain. She had kept her thoughts on the cars and the scenery as they drove down the Autostrade and back toward Rome. Observations of fashionable women at Fiumincino Airport had occupied her mind before they boarded the plane. And during the flight, she directed her mental efforts at monitoring Edward's and Bella's interactions, rather than acknowledging the throbbing in her left shoulder.

Once or twice Edward seemed to pick up a glimmer of her discomfort, sending her a questioning glance. But she simply sighed and mulled over her concerns about Bella, effectively redirecting his thoughts in an instant.

The pain wasn't unbearable, but it was far from comfortable. Alice had few memories of physical pain; this was her first injury as a vampire. But now she had an even deeper sense of compassion for Jasper. She could almost feel the sting on her own skin as she mapped out his scars within her mind.

Edward gave her an inquisitive, concerned look shortly after they left Atlanta. He'd overheard a bit of her mental distress. She shook her head and whispered, "I miss Jasper." That seemed to satisfy her brother. Undoubtedly he interpreted her thoughts of pain to her musings about the many injuries her husband had suffered during his violent past.

When they entered the terminal in Seattle, Alice found herself walking slowly by necessity. Edward was supporting an exhausted Bella, so he did not notice her languid steps. Alice rallied when her anxious gaze found Jasper. His relief and adoration flooded her, eclipsing the pain temporarily as she stood before him, wrapped within the almost tangible cloak of his affection.

During the drive back to Forks, Jasper's love and overt longing for her overrode most of her discomfort. Still, she knew she would need to address the injury before she and her husband could pursue any degree of physical intimacy. She shuddered inwardly at the thought of Jasper's seeing the raw wounds. She knew he would feel the pain as acutely as she did, and she refused to expose him to that. He had experienced enough agony during his existence; she would not subject him to any more.

Alice tried to formulate a plan that would remove Jasper from the house for a little while. She loathed the thought of being separated from her husband—even for a few minutes—but she recognized the necessity of it. She considered her options, taking a moment to study the outcome of each idea, until she found the one that would work. She knew that Edward would remain near Bella, so there was no risk that he would reveal her pain to Jasper.

Alice and Jasper arrived at the family's home before the others. His physical craving for her intensified, and she nearly moaned at the depth of passion emanating from him. _Soon, my love, very soon, _she promised silently. Then Alice lifted her chin and steeled herself for the unpleasant task to come.

They entered through the kitchen. The house remained much as they had left it, with most of the furnishings intact. However, the supplies they had once stocked for their human visitor were gone. The refrigerator was empty, and Edward, in his frenzy to remove all traces of himself from Bella's life those long months ago, had cleared out the cupboards on the unlikely chance that she might visit the deserted home.

Jasper's arms wound around Alice the moment they stepped inside. He kissed the top of her head as his long fingers slid down her belly and skimmed her hips. "God, Alice, I've missed you so much," he murmured thickly. "Want you—need you now."

She felt the evidence of his need nudging at her back. The heat that throbbed through her body in response nearly erased the pain. "Me too, Jazz," she croaked. She took a breath to steady herself. "But we're going to have to wait just a little while."

He groaned and spun her to face him. "What the hell for?"

She lifted her right hand to cup his cheek tenderly. "Bella is going to come over. We need to have everything ready for her."

He blinked at his wife in surprise. "What? When?"

"Soon. And you saw her, Jazz. She needs to eat, or she'll pass out. And if she does," she paused to be certain she sounded convincing, "Edward's going to go ballistic, and it will all start up again." She shifted her left arm just enough to elicit a flare of pain, then permitted her face to reflect her discomfort. Jasper interpreted it as mental distress, just as she knew he would.

He sighed and ran his hands over her hips slowly. "What do you want me to do?"

"Go to the grocery store. I'll make a list for you." She lifted his hand to kiss it then darted to the counter, where she quickly wrote several dozen items on a notepad. "I'll get the house looking a bit more livable." She tore off the sheet. "There are still some flowers in the garden," she added as she handed the list to him.

She could feel his disappointment as he took the small piece of paper from her. "Are you sure this can't wait a _few_ minutes?" His gaze moved over her body longingly.

"Oh Jasper, I really wish it could," she replied with sincere regret, "but no, it can't." Biting her lower lip, she said huskily, "Besides, I don't want to rush… I need you, Jazz. I really, really need you, but not fast, not frantic—I need slow and gentle this time. And I want to show you how much I missed you and how glad I am to be back." If it were possible, her eyes would have brimmed with tears. Despite her current machinations, she meant every word.

Jasper caught her sincerity and gave her a tender smile. He kissed her mouth slowly, softly. "All right."

She watched as he hurried back to the garage, then she darted out to Esme's garden and swiftly tugged a handful of daffodils from the soil. She returned to the kitchen to set them on the counter then walked into the living room. Moving slowly, she lifted the shades to uncover the windows, then she sank down on the couch to wait for the rest of her family to return home.

* * *

_To be continued…_


	2. Chapter 2

Alice rose with difficulty when she heard the car pull into the garage. She stood rigidly until Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, and Rosalie walked into the room.

"Bella will be coming over later," Alice informed them. "Esme, can you put those flowers in a vase?" She gestured toward the kitchen.

Rosalie appeared taciturn. Emmett was trying to console her with little affectionate touches, but she remained glum.

"You should hunt," Alice told her bluntly. "It will help."

Emmett nodded in agreement. "Come on, babe, that's a good idea."

Rosalie's eyes moved from her husband to Alice. She was getting a vague sense that something was wrong…

"Go on," Alice encouraged a bit too quickly. "You really will feel better."

Emmett took his wife's hand and led her toward the door. Alice caught a glimpse of Esme at the counter, cutting the flower stems carefully. Carlisle was hanging up his jacket and scarf.

Without preamble, Alice said, "Carlisle, I need to talk to you for a minute. It's about…," she dropped her voice, "the Volturi."

Esme turned to look back at her, but Alice waved a hand dismissively. Carlisle, however, was not so easily placated. His gaze fell upon Alice, his golden eyes studying her closely. He had been preoccupied with Edward and Bella earlier, but now his professional instincts prickled. There was a hint of rigidity in Alice's usually fluid posture.

"Alice," he said softly, his voice steeped in concern, "what is it?"

With a small shake of her head, she simply murmured, "Your office."

They walked up the stairs, her steps measured and slightly stiff. Carlisle placed his hand gently at the small of her back, more a gesture of emotional than physical support. Something was troubling his youngest daughter deeply; that much was clear.

"What's the matter?" he asked as they neared his office.

She shook her head again, waiting for him to open the door. Once inside, she exhaled shakily as her legs faltered.

"Alice!" Carlisle's arms wrapped around her instantly. "What's happened?"

He lifted her effortlessly, his arm inadvertently pressing over her left shoulder. She gasped and flinched in pain. Carefully he set her upon the couch, kneeling before her. She read the questions in his eyes.

"Just…" She could not find her voice for a moment. "Just give me a second."

He took her hands in his. "What did they do to you?"

"Edward doesn't know," she began. "He didn't see—he was too busy with his own struggle with Jane and trying to keep Bella safe."

She closed her eyes. She was vaguely aware that Esme had returned to the garden, just as expected, to gather some more flowers. She and Carlisle were alone in the house. Now she could finally permit the memory to replay with clarity.

She had felt the guard's restraining fingers digging into her flesh her as she tried to move toward Bella to keep her from Edward's writhing body. Alice felt the flare of pain and heard the hard snap of bone as the pressure increased in response to her struggle. She had managed to wrench herself away, but only for an instant. Then the burly vampire had yanked her back, sinking his teeth into her shoulder to punctuate his point. She had bitten back a cry of pain as he broke the skin and venom flooded the wound. He released her after that, and she darted to Bella to encase the human girl within her arms. The entire incident had occurred within a few seconds, too fast for Bella to witness.

Alice's shoulder had flared with pain, but she had needed to stay strong, for Bella and Edward, and for Jasper. By the time Edward's mind was clear again and he had returned to Bella's side, Alice had managed to rearrange her clothing, covering her torn jacket and blouse with a well-placed scarf over her shoulders. At the airport, she had purchased a new jacket in a similar style and color, changing quickly and discarding the damaged one while Edward's attention was on Bella. No one noticed the difference in her clothing. For once she had felt thankful that Bella had no fashion sense of her own.

"Alice?" Carlisle asked again, his softly urgent voice drawing her from her reverie. "Please tell me what's wrong."

She nodded and reached up to remove her jacket. However, the movement caused a flash of burning in her shoulder, and a small gasp escaped her. He seemed to understand her intent, and he eased the garment over her shoulders and down her arms. Her teeth were clenched; her hands gripped the edge of the sofa with sufficient force to tear the leather. Carlisle immediately noted the signs of pain and realized that her left arm appeared to be the source.

"You're hurt," he said, his tone slightly strained as he attempted to maintain his professional calm.

She gave a nod of acknowledgement, then, with effort, shifted sideways so that he could view her back.

"I just need help getting the venom out," she said. She could not hide the tremor in her voice.

She felt his fingers brush the fabric of her blouse. He would need to see the wound, but before he could do anything else she pulled away from him.

Drawing a breath, she said, "I don't want Jasper to know."

"Alice—"

With effort, she turned to face her father. "Carlisle, please. He doesn't need to experience my pain. He's felt enough of his own."

Carlisle understood that she was referring to more than Jasper's early years as a vampire. The events of the previous September still weighed heavily upon him, and Alice's sudden departure for Italy had been nearly unbearable for him.

Carlisle placed his hand upon her cheek tenderly, compassion infusing his tone as he replied, "All right. Now please, let me help you."

Alice remained motionless as he tore away the fabric to expose her back fully. She heard him inhale once, sharply, when he saw the wounds. "Oh sweetheart," he breathed.

Foreseeing the stricken words he would speak, she interjected peremptorily, "I'm all right. It just… stings."

As his cool fingers traced the edges of the tears, she thought she felt a tiny quaver in his usually steady hands. She tried not to cry out when he pressed gently over her shoulder blade, but a small noise escaped her anyway.

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "But there's some underlying damage to the bones and ligaments, too. The venom is preventing it from healing."

She nodded; she'd realized that, of course. He caressed her shoulder reassuringly then stood, disappearing for a few moments to retrieve his bag. She glanced at it a bit longingly. It was rare that she wished to be human, but at this moment she would welcome the numbing effects of those wonderful vials inside.

She knew that Carlisle would take thick gauze from his bag then use it to absorb the venom as he removed it from the wounds. She saw the pain this would cause her and took a few deep breaths to prepare herself.

"This might be more comfortable if you were lying down," he suggested gently.

At her nod of acquiescence, he helped her to position herself upon the couch. She lay on her stomach, her forehead resting on her hands. She tried to focus on the softness of the smooth leather pressing against her belly, but her efforts were fruitless. Her entire shoulder burned.

"Alice," Carlisle cautioned, his voice thick with regret and apology, "I will work as quickly as I can, but it's going to hurt. I'm sorry."

"I know," she replied. "Just do it."

She heard him take a breath, then she felt a new, deeper burn as his skilled fingers worked to express the venom trapped within the ragged tears in her flesh. Alice stiffened to keep herself from crying out, clenching her teeth tightly. In her peripheral vision, she saw Carlisle discard a square of gauze saturated in silvery fluid. He reached for a clean pad, then the fire surged again. Despite her best efforts, Alice moaned.

"Almost done, sweetheart," he assuaged.

She caught a forewarning flash of him pausing to stroke her cheek in a gesture of comfort, but before he could complete the planned motion, she said quickly, "Don't, Carlisle. Just… just finish it. I'm okay."

He nodded once then returned to his work. Again the fire raged inside her, but now it was contained to one spot, and after a few seconds she could feel Carlisle's fingers against her skin again. The blaze receded to a hot tingle, then calmed to nothing more than a tight itch. Beneath her flesh, she still felt an ache, but compared to the fire it was quite bearable.

"All right, sweetheart," he said, and she could hear the relief in his voice, "I think I've gotten it all out. How does it feel?"

"Much better." She permitted herself to sigh in relief.

He wiped a cold, damp cloth over her shoulder, cleaning away the traces of venom remaining on her skin. "The wounds will close soon," he assured her, "but they won't be fully healed for an hour or so."

"There'll be scars, too," she added sadly.

"I'm afraid so. Of course they won't be visible to human eyes."

He thought she was worried about people noticing the marks when she dressed in particular styles. He didn't understand that she cared nothing about that. It was Jasper she was concerned about. She nodded woodenly.

"I'd like to assess your shoulder now," he said kindly. "I suspect the ligaments are torn. If I reposition them to align properly with the bone and joint, the damage will heal faster. I think it will spare you discomfort later, too." She looked up at his face; his expression was pained. "But it's entirely up to you," he added to ensure she felt no pressure from him. He had already hurt her so much…

"Please," she said in a small voice. "I want to heal as quickly as possible."

This time she did not attempt to preempt his efforts to offer her a moment of comfort with a stroke of his thumb across her cheek. Then he returned to work, pressing his fingers gently over and around her shoulder blade, expertly probing for damage to the underlying structures. Alice felt the ache increase, but the fire was gone, and she was certain nothing could hurt as much as the venom had.

"You're going to feel some pressure here," he said softly, touching an area to the right of her shoulder. "The ligament is severed, but I can manipulate it back into place, and it should mend very quickly."

She gave a nod of affirmation and waited while his hands kneaded at her. The ache deepened for a few seconds then began to fade as the pressure from his touch relented. His hands retreated, now resting very lightly against her back. He rubbed small circles over her skin with the gentlest of motions, soothing away the residual discomfort.

For a few minutes, neither spoke. She could hear Carlisle breathing steadily, and she knew that performing this simple human action was calming to him. She felt deeply regretful that she had upset him.

"Carlisle," she finally said, keeping her voice low, "I'm sorry."

His hands stilled, and she sat up, hugging a pillow to her chest.

"Whatever for?" he asked, truly perplexed.

She shrugged apologetically. "That you had to do that." Her eyes flicked to the gauze pads on the table, now glistening with venom. "I know it was… hard for you."

"Oh Alice," he exclaimed softly, "there's absolutely no need for you to apologize! If anyone should, it is I. If I had handled things differently in September—not immediately acquiesced to Edward's impulsive request that we leave—you and Bella would never have felt the need to go to Volterra—"

"Carlisle, no," she said quickly. "You were trying to help Edward. None of this is your fault, not in the least. I'm just sorry I had to ask you to …to do this for me. I know how much it pains you to see anyone suffer."

For a moment she could not read his expression; it seemed harsh, almost angry. Then his eyes softened, and he said, "You're right, Alice. But if you think I would have wanted anyone else to do that—to treat you, to help you heal—you're very wrong about that."

Bemused by his words, she frowned a little.

He continued. "I loathe the thought of your being hurt, of your experiencing pain. But knowing you trusted me to help you, knowing that I was _able_ to help you, means a great deal to me. It's not often that I am able to provide physical aid to one of my children. And I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, suggesting that I ever want to do that again. But if you or Jasper, Rosalie or Emmett, Edward or Bella, ever need me, in any capacity, I will always be here for you."

Alice didn't know—couldn't even predict—whose arms wrapped around the other first. All she knew was that she was in her father's warm, loving embrace, where she remained for a very long time.

* * *

_To be concluded... _


	3. Chapter 3

Alice and Jasper sat upon their bed, facing each other, hands clasped. Her legs were wrapped around his hips, and his forehead rested against hers. They were both still fully dressed, except for their shoes.

They remained silent and motionless for some time, their emotions melding, coalescing, intensifying until Jasper released her hands and began to unbutton her blouse. She did not stop him. Her fingers traced the scar lowest on his right hand.

As he slid the silky fabric down over her shoulders, she looked up at him. Immediately he caught the slight shift in her feelings. Affection and lust were still coursing through her, but now a flicker of pain crept over him.

"Alice?" he asked quietly. "What is it?"

She swallowed and waited until he had removed her blouse. Then she clasped his hands again and kissed his throat. "Something happened in Volterra," she began.

He stiffened, capturing her face in his hands. "What?"

She remained calm, however, preventing his emotions from escalating. "I was bitten. But I'm absolutely fine now."

She felt rage and hunger for vengeance surge from him. She purposely shrugged them away. She caught his wrists, just firmly enough to draw his attention to her touch.

"Jazz," she said, her tone even, "don't. It's over now. I don't want you to think about revenge. Please."

Her gaze was intense, and he found he could not look away. His seething anger was beginning to fade as the strength of her love washed over him. He swallowed, and his thumb brushed her lower lip.

"Are you sure you're all right?" he asked thickly.

She nodded serenely. She knew, of course, that he would need to see for himself anyway. She began to turn around before he could ask.

"Let me—" he began, but she was already facing away, her back revealed to his worried eyes.

She felt his fingers trail very gently around the scars. "Did Edward remove the venom?" he asked. His voice remained slightly husky.

"No, Carlisle did."

He inhaled sharply. "Damn it, Alice! You waited until you got back? Why the hell didn't you tell me? I would have—"

"I know." She remained facing away but drew his hands around to rest over her unbeating heart. "But I didn't want you to. You've had to do that so many times, and you've experienced so much pain. I couldn't put you through that again."

"But I'm your husband. I'm your _mate_." His tone was stricken again, and she felt his hurt as an ache in her own chest.

"And that's why I didn't ask you." She leaned her head back, nestling it beneath his chin. "I love you too much to make you do that."

The ache faded, replaced by the warmth she radiated, reflected back as Jasper absorbed it. "Oh Allie," he sighed, his fingers spreading to caress her skin with tender strokes. He bent his head to kiss her shoulder then nuzzled the back of her neck.

She turned then, kissing him ardently. Deep love enveloped the couple as Jasper's lips and fingers soothed away the last shards of Alice's pain.

* * *

_Fin_

_**Note: **I'm working on a little outtake for "Touching Solitude" and a new Bella/Edward short story. If you have a preference about which one you'd like to read first, let me know and I'll give that one priority. Thank you! __  
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